Video conferencing links town to city council in County Cavan, Ireland

Friday, July 16 2010

The small town of Cavan in County Cavan, Ireland, is "future-proofing" its local resources using the internet and web conferencing, reports the Anglo-Celt.

In addition to setting up websites that will provide both locals and visitors with access to the town's newspapers, TV stations, council meetings and other information regarding the county, Cavan officials have set up a video conferencing "suite" in the local library.

The Cavan Town Council has launched a website that includes pages for housing, developing, roads and transport, environment, leisure and culture, business and community, as well as pages providing updates about council initiatives and local government actions. The website also includes support for videos, such as "A Walk Through Cavan Town," which lets visitors take a virtual stroll through the community.

The town has also set up Twitter and Facebook accounts.

While council members expressed excitement over the new technology, they acknowledged the legacy of traditional media such as the "local rag," as well, according to the paper.

The council members are particularly thrilled over the introduction of the video conferencing hardware and the website's capability to link together people from all across the county.

"You could have a meeting of the council on the website, where people could tune in from all over the town," said councillor Paddy Conaty. "It is the way of the future."

The town of Cavan, located in the province of Ulster, lies along the border of Northern Ireland, in the northeast of the Republic of Ireland. The town has a population of around 8,000, with nearly 10,000 living in the environs. Approximately 30,000 people live within a 16km radius of the town who would be impacted by the introduction of video conferencing software to keep them up-to-date on happenings in the council.